Chris Madel Quits Minnesota Governor Race, Blasts Trump’s ICE Raids as 'Unmitigated Disaster'

Minneapolis attorney Chris Madel abruptly ended his Republican campaign for Minnesota governor after posting an almost 11-minute video saying he could not remain in a party that supports what he called "national Republicans' stated retribution."

“By SCOTT BAUER MADISON, Wis”

akronnewsreporter

In that video and in coverage across outlets, Madel criticized the federal immigration deployment in the Twin Cities, Operation Metro Surge, as "an unmitigated disaster," and said the operations have left many, particularly people of color, "living in fear."

akronnewsreporter

His exit narrows an already crowded GOP field and came as calls grew for probes of federal immigration tactics after two recent fatal shootings tied to immigration enforcement.

Madel's public break with national Republicans was complicated by his prior legal work for federal immigration enforcement agents.

Multiple outlets reported that Madel provided pro bono legal advice to an ICE agent accused in an earlier fatal shooting, and that as of reporting no criminal charges or civil suits had been filed in that case.

Al Jazeera

Madel defended the principle of counsel even as he condemned Operation Metro Surge, saying "justice requires excellent legal representation" when discussing his representation of an officer.

Madel explicitly cited two recent fatal encounters involving federal agents—the Jan. 7 shooting of Renee Good and the later killing of Alex Pretti—as factors in his decision to leave the race.

“Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Madel abruptly withdrew Monday, saying he could not stay in a party that endorses “stated retribution on the citizens of our state”

AlterNet

News coverage links his withdrawal to heightened scrutiny of federal immigration tactics and to public outrage after videos and reports emerged about the Pretti shooting at a Minneapolis protest.

Several sources say those incidents convinced Madel, who had campaigned as a law‑and‑order candidate, that the operation had exceeded its mandate.

In his remarks and in reporting that quotes him, Madel condemned specific ICE and DHS practices.

He said it is wrong that U.S. citizens 'feel they must carry papers to prove citizenship' and criticized home raids on civil warrants as unconstitutional.

Associated Press

He argued that people of color have been improperly targeted, using phrases like 'driving while Hispanic' or 'driving while Asian' to underscore racial profiling.

Outlets across regions reproduced those claims, with some emphasizing Madel's moral and constitutional critique and others placing it within the political calculation about electability in Democratic-leaning Minnesota.

Madel's departure reshuffles the Republican contest in Minnesota.

Coverage notes other GOP contenders: Mike Lindell, Lisa Demuth, Scott Jensen, Kristin Robbins and former candidates.

CNN

Reports point to wider political fallout, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar filing paperwork to run and GOP debates over how federal enforcement affects statewide electability.

Some outlets emphasize the immediate narrowing of the field, while others link the exit to broader legal and political developments such as calls for joint federal-state probes and ongoing investigations related to federal deployments.